The Third Term Syndrome: Why African Presidents Fear Retirement
In many African nations, the presidency is meant to be a chapter, not a lifetime appointment. Yet time and again, leaders who once spoke eloquently about democracy develop a sudden allergy to retirement as their final term approaches.
This condition often called the Third Term Syndrome is marked by constitutional amendments, court gymnastics, or “popular requests” that miraculously beg the president to stay. What begins as public service quietly mutates into personal survival.
At the heart of this fear is not always hunger for power alone, but fear of what comes after power. In systems where institutions are weak and politics is deeply personalized, stepping down can mean exposure. Former presidents worry about prosecution, loss of protection, revenge from rivals, or the collapse of business networks built while in office. Power becomes a shield, and retirement feels like walking naked into a storm.
There is also the problem of identity. For decades, the state revolves around one man. He appoints, dismisses, commands, and decides. Over time, the line between the president and the nation blurs. Leaders begin to believe sometimes sincerely that without them the country will collapse. This mindset has justified extended rule in countries like Cameroon under Paul Biya, Uganda under Yoweri Museveni, and Rwanda under Paul Kagame, where constitutions were revised to reset term limits in the name of “stability.”
Surrounding the president is another powerful engine of the syndrome: the inner circle. Advisors, generals, relatives, and business allies thrive only while the leader remains in office.
To them, retirement is not statesmanship; it is disaster. They whisper warnings of chaos, exaggerate threats, and manufacture public endorsements. By the time the leader hears the people’s voice, it has already been filtered through fear and self-interest.
The tragedy of the Third Term Syndrome is not just prolonged rule but postponed progress. Young leaders are locked out, institutions are weakened, and citizens lose faith in elections. Ironically, the very instability presidents claim to prevent is often what their refusal to leave creates.
History is kinder to leaders who know when to exit. Mandela proved that power can be exercised and surrendered with dignity. In Africa’s future, true strength will not be measured by how long one rules, but by the courage to let go.